FIBA Basketball
AUS - Nielsen to miss FIBA World Championship
SYDNEY (FIBA World Championship) - Basketball Australia has announced that Australian Forward, Matthew Nielsen, will not be part of the Boomers program for the upcoming World Championships. Nielsen, 28, recently signed a new three-year contract with Lithuanian basketball club, Lietuvos Rytas, and had returned to Australia for the European off season in order to train with the Boomers as they work towards the World Championships in Japan next month
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SYDNEY (FIBA World Championship) - Basketball Australia has announced that Australian Forward, Matthew Nielsen, will not be part of the Boomers program for the upcoming World Championships.
Nielsen, 28, recently signed a new three-year contract with Lithuanian basketball club, Lietuvos Rytas, and had returned to Australia for the European off season in order to train with the Boomers as they work towards the FIBA World Championship in Japan next month. However, difficulties with the insurance on Nielsen’s contract have forced him out of the squad.
"Matthew is a talented senior player in the Boomers squad," Basketball Australia Chief Executive, Scott Derwin said. "We were obviously very keen to have him involved in the team for our World Championships campaign and have been working with him and our insurance brokers for the past six weeks to resolve this issue. However, the insurance premium to cover his international contract is almost the same as what it is to cover the entire team of 12 players – including NBA player Andrew Bogut.
Because of the escalating costs on insuring these large international contracts, Basketball Australia management is working with the Boomers’ leadership group to develop a new policy regarding insurance for these players. Current policy covers contracts up to the maximum a player can earn in the Australian NBL.
"This is a problem that all professional sports are finding with athletes with large contracts – especially those who play in Europe. We will be working hard to get the best result for Australian basketball and our athletes," Derwin said. "We will review our current policy in order to find a solution that is affordable and fair to all players, and that doesn’t jeopardise other elements of the program such as international competition, training camps and team coaching and support staff levels."
Nielsen will not attend the current training camp in the NSW Central Coast town of Terrigal, which starts on Wednesday afternoon and will conclude on Sunday when a team of 12 will be announced for the tour of New Zealand and the Resi Mortgage Test Series in Hobart and Melbourne on July 12 and 14.
Basketball Australia
SYDNEY (FIBA World Championship) - Basketball Australia has announced that Australian Forward, Matthew Nielsen, will not be part of the Boomers program for the upcoming World Championships.
Nielsen, 28, recently signed a new three-year contract with Lithuanian basketball club, Lietuvos Rytas, and had returned to Australia for the European off season in order to train with the Boomers as they work towards the FIBA World Championship in Japan next month. However, difficulties with the insurance on Nielsen’s contract have forced him out of the squad.
"Matthew is a talented senior player in the Boomers squad," Basketball Australia Chief Executive, Scott Derwin said. "We were obviously very keen to have him involved in the team for our World Championships campaign and have been working with him and our insurance brokers for the past six weeks to resolve this issue. However, the insurance premium to cover his international contract is almost the same as what it is to cover the entire team of 12 players – including NBA player Andrew Bogut.
Because of the escalating costs on insuring these large international contracts, Basketball Australia management is working with the Boomers’ leadership group to develop a new policy regarding insurance for these players. Current policy covers contracts up to the maximum a player can earn in the Australian NBL.
"This is a problem that all professional sports are finding with athletes with large contracts – especially those who play in Europe. We will be working hard to get the best result for Australian basketball and our athletes," Derwin said. "We will review our current policy in order to find a solution that is affordable and fair to all players, and that doesn’t jeopardise other elements of the program such as international competition, training camps and team coaching and support staff levels."
Nielsen will not attend the current training camp in the NSW Central Coast town of Terrigal, which starts on Wednesday afternoon and will conclude on Sunday when a team of 12 will be announced for the tour of New Zealand and the Resi Mortgage Test Series in Hobart and Melbourne on July 12 and 14.
Basketball Australia